Electrical operating means



. Sept l5, 1931. vl G, APPLE ETAL I 1,823,523

' ELECTRICAL OPERATING MEANS FAiled Marh 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 4l /NI/E/VTORS. HENRYB. OHMER. V//VCENT 6. APPAE Arrows/Ex Sept. 15, 1931.

V. G. APPLE ET AL ELECTRICAL OPERATING MEANS I Filed March 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVE/VTORS. HENRY@ OHMEH. V//VCE/VTG. IPPLE Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VINCENT G. APPLE AND HENRY B. OHMER, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS T0 OHMER FARE REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO ELECTRICAL OPERATING MEANS Application lled March 28, 1927. Serial No. 179,135.

The object of this invention is t0 provide an electrical operating means for taximeters and for other machines where the same may be found to be useful.

Heretofore, the fare drums on taximeters have been driven entirely by mechanical means. In taximeters there is a main drive shaft which is driven by either a moving part of the vehicle or a clock mechanism whichever drives the faster. The main drive shaft is provided with a cam or a plurality of cams which lift a lever mounted on a shaft. A detent is operatively connected to the said shaft. When the lever passes beyond the nose of the cam, a spring is employed to pull the lever downwardly, partially rotating the said shaft and movinL the detent into engagement with the units drum of the fare register thereby registering a unit of fare such as 5c or 10e. The spring must be sufciently strong to operate the detent when not only the units drum is to be operated but when the units, dimes and dollars drums are to be simultaneously operated. A spring sti-'ong enough to operate three or more fare drums together with the associated transfer mechanism is sufficiently strong to provide' considerable drag on the operating cam. It has been further noted that this drag is suficiently strong to slow down or even to stop the clock mechanism unless the clock is fully wound. The object of this invention is to provide electrical means to operate the fare registers, said electrical means being controlled by said cam. A weak spring may be substituted for the strong spring heretofore required, or in some cases the spring can be eliminated entirely.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which our invention is shown as applied to that type of taximeter shown in the patent to J. F. hmer and E. H. Bridenbaugh 1,136,164, and in which we have shown the preferred embodiment of the inventionY by way of illustration:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view with many of the parts of the taximeter omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking inM the .direction of the arrow.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a plan view partly in cross section which they would be after the taximeter had'vv been operated, so as to rotate the main oper` ating shaft approximately 180.

The main operating shaft 1 is driven by a convention means. Such conventional means consists of connections to a moving part of the vehicle such as one of the wheels or the transmission shaft, by which the motion of the vehicle may be transmitted through. a. clutch mechanism to the said main operating shaft. a Second clutch mechanism from a clock. The two clutch mechanisms are so constructed that the shaft 1 is driven by either tle clock mechanism or by a moving part of t e This structure is so well understood in the taximeter art that further discussion thereof is not considered to be necessary. The shaft 1 is'provided with a cam 2 which may have any number of lobes. ber of lobes employed the faster the fare register would be caused to operate. One of the lobes of the cam 2 is provided with an offset pin 3. A rock shaft 4 is suitably mounted in theframework of the taximeter- Rotatably mounted on the rock shaft 4 is a lever 5 provided with lugs 6 and 7 which lugs extend outwardly from opposite sides of the lever 5. the lug 7. the other end of which spring is attached by any suitable means to a cross bar 9 of the framework of the taximcter. It is this spring 8 which has heretofore given so much trouble, it forcing the lever 5 against the. cam 2 yso strongly as to retard the opera-y tion of said cam. The spring 8 can be eliminated entirely provided the lever 5 ismade sufficiently heavy so that the action of gravity will cause the lower end thereof to follow the outline of the cam 2 as it rotates. It is The said shaft is alsov driven throught vehicle, whichever is driving the faster.`

The greater the num-'- A spring 8 is attached toA beyond the lower end of the lever 5 the lever fares. For instance, the rate of fare may be desirable, however, to have a very weak spring 8 to assist this action of gravity. Heretofore the lever 5 has been secured to the rock shaft 4 and the spring 8 was the means to rotate the shaft 4 in a counter-clockwise direction to operate the fare drums. it will be noted that we loosely mount the lever 5 on the rock shaft 4 so that the spring 8 does not have tocperform the work of rotating the said rock shaft to register a fare.

A cam shaft 10 is provided with a flag 11 whereby same may be rot-ated to any one of a plurality of positions. The'cam shaft 10 is also provided with a cam 12 which engages the lug 6 when the shaft is reset, raising the lever 5 from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 5. When the cam shaft .10 is so reset a lever'13 rotatably mounted on the cam shaft 10 engages a lug 14 on the lever 5 holding the lever 5 in elevated position as shown in Fig. 5, the spring 15 holding y the lever 13 in position against the said lugV 14. Vhen the flag shaft 11 is rotated moving the cam 12 from the position sho-wn in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6, the lug 6 no longer engages the said Cain 12. As the clock or moving part ofthe vehicle. drives the main operating'shaft 1 the pin 3 engages the lower end of the lever 13 moving its upper end from engagement with the lug 14 and the lower end of the lever 5 now drops either by the action of gravity or by action of gravity assisted by the spring 8 into engagement with the cam 2. Thereafter as the cam 2 rotates the leverl 5 will be raised by following its periphery and when the po-int of the cani has passed will drop as before mentioned. The cam 2 does not raise the lever suiiiciently high sov that the ,lug 14 will be seated in the recess 16 in the upper end of the lever 13 and it will not again be seated in the said recess until the cam 12 is rotated when the cam shaft 10 is reset. The object of having the pin 3 and the lever 13 is to delay the initial action of the lever 5 forthe reason that most cities require a different rate of charge for the initial fare thanv that charged for subsequent 4095 for the first half mile and 10c for each .subsequent quarter of a mile. rllhe lever 13 holds the lever5 out of contact with the cam 2 until this initial. fare has been earned at which time the pin 3 disengages the lever 13 fromthe lever 5 so that the cam 2 can operate the lever 5. The lever 5 is provided with an L-shaped extension 17 carrying a pin 18and a second pin 19. An arm 2() is pivoted ony the pin 19 and extends beneath the pin 18 being held against the pin 18 by means of a spring-21. f

Two temporary magnets 22 and 23 are surrounded by coils of insulated wire 24 making lating board 25 secured to a cross bar 26 of the machine. A lead 27 extends from a suitable source of electricity such as a battery, which lead extends to a terminal 28 connected to al terminal 29 by means of a metallic tie bar 30. A lead 31. eXtends from the terminal 32 to the coil 24 around the magnet 23 which extends to the coil around the magnet 22 by means of a lead 33, from whence it eX- tends to a terminal 34 by means of a lead 35. The terminal 34 is grounded by means of the lead 55. A metallic plate 36 surinounts a plate 37 above the Ycoils 24, which plate 36 is provided with two upstanding lugs 38 which act as bearings for a pivoted brass plateV `39 to which 1s secured a steel bar 40. rlhe clearly shown in Fig. 1. T he co'ntactbar 45 is'r..

connected to a spring 47 having its other end secured to the insulated plate 43. Near its lower end the contact bar 45 is provided with a shallow rectangular recess 48 which is.

somewhat wider than the insulated board 25.

As the lever 5 drops from the nose of one of the lobes of the cam 2 the arm 20 engages the lower portion of the contact bar 45 moving the said bar sufficiently to disengage the recess 48 from 'the board 25, whereupon the spring 47 pulls the Contact bar 45 upwardly with a snap action so that the contact plates 46 will engage the terminals 29 and 32 with practically no arcing. VThe current of electricity now passes from the lead 27 through the tiebar 30, terminal 29, contact plates 46, terminal 32, lead 31, coils 24. lead 35, terminal 34 and'lead 55. The magnets 22 and 23 are now energized, attracting the steel. bar 40 and causing the brass plate 39 to descend moving the rod 41 and rotating the lever 42 and rock shaft 4 in a'counter-clockwise direction. As the brass plate 39 completes its downward movementk it strikes against the upper end of the contact bar 45, depressing the saine against the tension of the spring 47. As soon as the recess 48 is adjacent the board 25, the spring 47 moves the lower end .of the contact bar 45 inwardly. As the contact bar 45 moves downwardly the Contact` downwardly after the cam has passed beyond the nose of the lever 5. We propose to change this operation so that the lever 5 performs no function other than to trip the contact bar 45 so that the magnets 22 and 23 may rotate the rock shaft 4 in an anti-clockwise or operating direction and thereafter the springs 49 return it to normal position by rotating it clockwise.

The rock shaft 4 has securely attached thereto a lever 50 (best seen in Fig. 2) which lever is provided with a pin 51 and a pivot 52 on which is mounted a pawl 53 provided with a. shoulder 54. A spring 57 maintains the shoulder 54 against the pin 51 so that the lower end of the pawl 53 will engage a ratchet 58 rotatably mounted on the rmain drive shaft 1. The ratchet 58 is connected to fare drums 59 through suitable transfer mechanism 60 and 61 as is fully shown and described in the patent to Ohmer and Bridenbaugli 1,136,164, which structure need not be described in detail in this application.

It will be apparent that when the magnets are energized to rotate the rock shaft 4 in a counter-clockwise direction the pawl 53 will be moved downwardly, rotating the shaft 58 and the fare drums 59. As soon as the circuit is broken and the rock shaft 4 is rotated in a clockwise direction as hereinbefore described, the lever 50 will be raised, moving the pawl 53 out of engagement with the ratchet 58, the shoulder 54 contacting with the pin 51.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the specific form of invention shown by way of illustration in this application. We, therefore, desire to claim our invention broadly in whatever form it may be embodied, which may fairly fall within the scope of the apended claims.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. In a machine of the type described, a cam, fare drums, electrical means interposed between said cam and drums whereby said drums may be actuated, a lever controlled by said cam, means whereby said lever may be held in inoperative position during the initial rotation of said cam, and means whereby said lever controls said electrical means.

2. In a machine of the class described, a cam, fare drums, an electromagnet and armature interposed between said cam and drums, a contact member arranged for movement to open and close contacts controlling said electromagnet, means for latching said member in open circuit position, said member being also arranged for movement to disengage said latching means, a lever con-` trolled by said cam and having means for imparting movement to the contact member, and means for advancing the drums by the armature and for simultaneously returning the contact member to open circuit position.

3. In a machine of the type described, a`

cam, a rotatable drum, an electromagnet and yarmature interposed between said cam and drum, a contact member arranged for movement to open and close contacts controlling said electromagnet, means whereby said contact member is normally held in such a position that said contact member is out of engagement with said contacts, means controlled by said Cam whereby said contact member is moved to such a posit-ion so that the contact member engages said contacts to complete circuit, and means for advancing the drum by the armature and for simultaneously returning the contact member to open circuit position.

4. In a machine of the type described, a rotatable cam, a driven drum, an electromagnet and armature interposed between said cam and drum, means controlled by said cam whereby said electromagnet may be energized, a plate actuated by said armature when energized, a rod connected to said plate, a lever connected to saidV rod, means whereby said lever actuates said drum, means whereby the circuit is broken when said drum has been actuated, and means to return said plate, rod and lever to initial position.

5. In a machine of the type described, a cam, an electromagnet, a rotatable drum, a lever interposed between said magnet and cam, said cam controlling said lever, means whereby said leveris held inoperative during the initial rotation of said cam, means whereby said magnet is controlled by said lever, and means whereby said drum is operated by said magnet when energized.

6. In a machine of the type described, a drive shaft, a driving cam thereon, a resetting shaft, a rock shaft, a lever loosely mounted on said rock shaft, means whereby said resetting shaft may hold said lever in inoperative position when reset, means whereby said lever is moved into engagement with said cam when said resetting shaft has been moved to another position, an electromagnet controlled by said lever, a driven member, and means whereby said magnet when energized actuates said member.

In a machine of the type described, a cam, an electro magnet, terminals therefor, a contact bar provided with a recess, a spring connected to said bar, an insulated board normally extending within said recess and holding said contact bar out of engagement with said terminals, means controlled by said cam to move said bar so as to disengage said recess from said board so that said spring may move said har into engagement with said terminals, a driven member, and means actuated by said magnet when said bar is in contact with said terminals to actuate said driven member and to move said bar out of engagement with said terminals so that said recess is again engaged by said board.

8. In a machine of.the type described, a

rotatable cam, a rock-shaft, a lever loosely mounted on said rock shaft, an electromagnet, means controlled by'said lever whereby Y said magnet is energized and cle-energized,

a pivoted plate attractedby said magnet when energized, a rodconnected to said plate, a lever connected to said rod and secured to said rock shaft, a second lever secured to said rock shaft, a pawl secured to said second lever, a fare drum actuated by said pawl, and means whereby said plate is moved out of engagement with said magnet when said drum has been actuated.

9. In a machine of the type described, an electromagnet having a terminal, an armature actuated ,byy said electromagnet when energized, a contact bar actuated by said armature and provided with a recess, ter- Vminals carried by said contact bar, driven means actuated by said armature, holding means normally engaging one side of said recess to hold the contact bar so that the terminals of said contact bar and electromagnet are out ofY engagement with each other, means whereby said contact bar is shifted so as to disengage saidV recess 'from' the holdingV means, and a springV to thereupon snap said contact bar so as to cause said terminals to engage each other thereby completing the circuit. y

10. In a machine Aof the type described, an electromagnet having a terminal, anarmature actuated by said electromagnet when energized, a contact bar actuated by said armature and` provided with a recess, terminals carried by said contact bar, driven means actuated by said armature, holdingV means normally engaging one side of said recess to hold the contact bar so that the terminals of said contact bar and electromagnet are out of engagement with each other, means whereby said contact bar is shifted so as to disengage said recess from the holding means,

engage each other thereby completing the circuit, said contact bar being in such a position relative to said armature so that as soon as the armature is actuated by said electromagnet the Contact bar is depressed so as to bring Vsaid recess into engagement with said holdingv means.

11. In a machine of the type described, an` electromagnet having terminals, an armature pivoted adjacent to said electromagnet and attracted byvsaid electromagnet when energized, a Contact bar, terminals carriedA and a spring to thereupon snap saidl contact bar so as to cause said terminals to engage the contact bar and move vthe said contact bar' so as to disengage the recess from the means to enter the recess, anda spring to thereupon snap said contact'bar so as to engage the terminals carried thereon with the terminals on the electromagnet.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

VINCENT Gr. APPLE. HENRY B. OHMER.

bv said contact bar to engage the terminals n of the electromagnet said contact bar lying inthe path of movement of saidV armature and adapted to be depressed thereby said contact bar being provided with arecess, means to enter said recess when said contact bar is depressed to hold it in depressed position, a cam means obperated by the cam to 

